The Top Country Music Songs of 2004
Contents
Looking for a great country song to add to your playlist? Check out our top picks for the best country songs of 2004!
Introduction
It’s hard to believe that another year has flown by, and with it, another great crop of country music hits. From the tear-jerker ballads to the upbeat honky-tonk anthems, 2004 had something for everyone. Here are my picks for the top 10 country songs of the year.
10. “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw
This heartwarming ballad was released in June 2004 as the lead single from McGraw’s album of the same name. The song was inspired by a close friend of McGraw’s who was diagnosed with cancer, and it resonated with fans who had been touched by tragedy.
9. “1984” by George Strait
This fun, up-tempo love song from Strait’s classic album “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” was a perfect example of his signature style. The lighthearted lyrics and catchy melody made it a favorite among fans and critics alike.
8. “Head Over Boots” by Jon Pardi
Pardi burst onto the country music scene in 2016 with his debut album “California Sunrise,” and this catchy tune was the standout track. The song perfectly captured Pardi’s laid-back California vibe, and its popularity helped make him one of country music’s most promising new stars.
7. “My Girl” by Dylan Scott
This tender love song from Scott’s self-titled debut album quickly became a fan favorite, thanks to its relatable lyrics and sweet sentimentality. It also earned Scott his first top 10 hit on the country charts.
6. “Different for Girls” by Dierks Bentley featuring Elle King
Bentley teamed up with pop singer Elle King for this powerful feminist anthem, which challenged traditional gender roles in country music. The song was hailed as a progressive step forward for the genre, and its popularity helped make Bentley one of country music’s most important voices in 2016.
The Top Country Music Songs of 2004
There were a lot of great country songs that came out in 2004. It was a great year for the genre, and many artists released some of their best work. Here are the top songs from that year.
“Live Like You Were Dying”
“Live Like You Were Dying” is a song recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in September 2004 as the lead single from his album Live Like You Were Dying. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in December 2004. The song was written by Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers, and produced by Byron Gallimore, McGraw’s longtime producer. It is based on the story of Sanders’ father, who died of cancer.
The song became McGraw’s ninth Number One hit on the Hot Country Songs chart in December 2004. In October 2014, after spending ten weeks at Number One, the song became the longest-running Number One song of McGraw’s career, surpassing “Don’t Take the Girl”, which spent nine weeks at Number One in 1994. The song also spent seven weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it his second crossover hit after 1997’s “It’s Your Love”, which also spent seven weeks atop that chart.
“She’s My Kind of Rain”
“She’s My Kind of Rain” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in October 2004 as the lead single from his album Live Like You Were Dying, which was released in November 2004. The song became McGraw’s eleventh Number One hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in early 2005.
The song is an up-tempo, with a moderate rock feel. In it, the male narrator talks about a former girlfriend who left him, but whom he still misses.
Critical reception for “She’s My Kind of Rain” was positive. Allmusic reviewer Steve Leggett called it “a likable tune”. Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, saying that its “catchy melody and subversiveimages make for one of McGraw’s most interesting singles.” Keith Urban covered this song on his album Be Here.
“Little Bit of Life”
Written by Craig Wiseman and Jeffrey Steele, “Little Bit of Life” is a song that was recorded by American country music artist Craig Morgan. It was released in October 2004 as the lead-off single to his 2005 album My Kind of Livin’. The song became Morgan’s second Number One hit on the Billboard country charts in early 2005.
“Beer for My Horses”
“Beer for My Horses” is a song recorded by American country music artists Toby Keith and Willie Nelson. It was released in October 2003 as the lead single from Keith’s 2003 album Shock’n Y’all. The song, written by Keith and Scotty Emerick, features guest vocals from Nelson. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in early 2004, becoming Keith’s sixth charts for Onyx Publishing, L.L.C.. In addition, it was the first Number One country hit for Nelson in 20 years.
The song is an uptempo in which the narrator lists various things that he would do for his horse-riding sweetheart. These include retrieving her from Florida and taking her to “a honky tonk / down in Texas”, among other places. Ultimately, he states that he would “risk his neck” for her.
Nelson’s portion of the song consists of him singing one verse near the end of the song:
I can’t afford to buy her a fancy car / So I bought her a horse instead / Now all she wants to do is ride him around town / And show him off to all her friends
“Wave on Wave”
“Wave on Wave” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Pat Green. It was released in May 2003 as the second single from his album Lucky Ones. The song became Green’s second Number One hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in early 2004. “Wave on Wave” was written by Green and Cory Morrow.
Green told The Boot that he and Morrow wrote the song in about “45 minutes to an hour” during one of their regular co-writing sessions. Green said that they were “trying to write a song about how good it felt to be alive,” and that he knew the song was special as soon as he wrote it.
Conclusion
The top country music songs of 2004 were a mixture of upbeat, sentimental, and patriotic tunes. Some of the most popular songs were “Who I Am” by Jason Aldean, “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw, “Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown Band, and “I Believe in You” by Don Williams. Each of these songs topped the country music charts and received critical acclaim from fans and critics alike.
